"The most disturbing part for you was the glee you took in the abuse of these children," Calhoun County Circuit Court Judge John Hallacy said to Furman. "On the video you are giddy about the fact that this infant was giggling while being sexually abused and you took great pride that (the) boys were touching themselves in a sexual manner. And you and Mr. Toole looked forward to abusing these children in the future.

"It's the devils work," Hallacy concluded. "That's what it is."

Furman and her boyfriend, Matthew Toole, were among several people charged in what investigators concluded was a ring of people who sexually abused children, some of them their own, and made and distributed videos of the sexual acts.

The pair along with two others also are charged with plotting to kidnap, torture, rape and kill a young girl, although police said they don't believe the act occurred. Charges are pending in Branch County.

Police first learned in May of Furman and Toole from an inmate in the Allegan County jail who said he viewed videos of the acts after having sex with the couple.

Toole, 32, of Battle Creek, has been sentenced to a pair of consecutive sentences of 25 to 70 years in prison after pleading no contest to two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Furman, wearing a disposable mask as a precaution against an outbreak of mumps in the jail, and standing with her attorney, Justin McCarthy, said, "I am really sorry to even be here. I accept that I deserve where I am going."

Talia Furman with her attorney Justin McCarthy was sentenced to at least 25 years in prison for child rape.(Photo: Trace Christenson/The Enquirer)

McCarthy told the judge that Furman was not a leader, was sexually abused as a child and that Toole involved her with drugs including methamphetamine.

"How she would do this, she shakes her head and says she doesn't understand it," McCarthy said.

Assistant Prosecutor Tamara Towns told the judge that Furman deserves the mandatory 25 years in prison even though she did provide some information that helped police find others involved.

"There is the heinous nature of what she and Mr. Toole and other defendants did to young children that should be protected and not used as toys and games to play with one another."

Contact Trace Christenson at 269-966-0685 or tchrist@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @TSChristenson